Last updated: 20 October 2026
Optus international roaming depends on your plan. On Choice Plus, Plus Family and Plus Promo, Optus Daily Roaming costs $5 a day for 5GB of data with unlimited standard calls and texts, in more than 150 Zone 1 destinations. Other postpaid plans get the $10 Optus Roaming Pass: 1GB for 24 hours, and a new $10 pass starts automatically as soon as that 1GB runs out. Prepaid customers buy roaming packs instead. Without a pass, data costs $1 per MB.
For data, a travel eSIM next to your Optus number is usually cheaper still: our Indonesia plan is US$10.99 (about A$15.73) for 7 days with 1.5GB a day, or US$11.99 (A$17.16) for 40GB over 7 days.
Australian dollar amounts for our plans use 1 US$ = A$1.4314 (European Central Bank rate, 19 October 2026). Your card may convert at a slightly different rate. Optus's prices are in Australian dollars.
Optus roaming prices
From the Optus international roaming page, checked on 20 October 2026:
| Option | Price | Data | Calls and texts | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optus Daily Roaming | $5 a day | 5GB for 24 hours; go over and Optus adds another 5GB for $5 | Unlimited standard calls and texts | Choice Plus, Plus Family and Plus Promo plans |
| $10 Optus Roaming Pass | $10 a pass | 1GB for 24 hours or until the 1GB is used, whichever comes first; Optus then charges another $10 for a new pass | Unlimited national talk and text | Selected other postpaid plans |
| Standard roaming rates | $1 per MB of data in Zone 1 and Zone 2, $2 per MB at sea and in the air | Per minute and per text | Selected postpaid plans without a pass |
- Where: Optus Daily Roaming and the Roaming Pass work in Zone 1, which Optus says covers more than 150 destinations, including Indonesia, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Thailand. In Zone 2 destinations you cannot roam at all on an Optus service; Optus recommends Wi-Fi there.
- The $10 pass can cost more than $10 a day. Because a new pass starts each time you use up 1GB, a day with 3GB of data costs $30.
- In the air: Daily Roaming also works on select partner airlines.
- Roaming switches on automatically in eligible destinations. Check which plan you are on in the My Optus app before you go.
Optus prepaid roaming packs
Prepaid customers do not get Daily Roaming. Optus's roaming page says prepaid customers use prepaid roaming options but does not list them; RoamMate's Optus guide lists these Zone 1 packs as of 27 September 2026:
| Pack | Data | Calls | Texts | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | 1GB | Up to 25 minutes | 50 | 1 day |
| $25 | 5GB | Up to 50 minutes | 50 | 14 days |
| $45 | 10GB | Up to 100 minutes | 100 | 28 days |
| $75 | 15GB | Up to 100 minutes | 100 | 186 days |
Check the current packs in the add-ons section of the My Optus app. The $25 pack is fair value for a light user on a two-week trip; heavier data users will run out of 5GB quickly.
What a trip costs: Optus or a travel eSIM
For data on one phone. All four destinations are in Optus Zone 1. Our prices in US dollars, with Australian dollars in brackets:
| Trip | Optus Choice Plus ($5 a day, 5GB) | Other Optus postpaid ($10 a pass, 1GB) | Our travel eSIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days in Bali | $35 | From $70, more if you use over 1GB a day | US$10.99 (A$15.73), 1.5GB a day; or US$11.99 (A$17.16) for 40GB |
| 14 days in Japan | $70 | From $140 | US$17.99 (A$25.75) for 15 days, 1.5GB a day |
| 3 weeks in Europe | $105 | From $210 | US$26.99 (A$38.63) for 30 days, 1.5GB a day, 30 countries |
| 7 days in the USA | $35 | From $70 | US$11.99 (A$17.16), 1.5GB a day |
Choice Plus Daily Roaming is good value if you use a lot of data and make calls on your Australian number: 5GB a day is more than most travel eSIMs give. On other Optus plans, or for data-only use, a travel eSIM costs far less: for Bali, our 40GB week (A$17.16) costs less than half of a Choice Plus week ($35), and the $10 pass's 1GB limit makes a busy day on Optus cost $20 or $30.
Using a travel eSIM with your Optus number
- Check your phone takes an eSIM and is unlocked: does my phone support eSIM? and is my phone unlocked?
- Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi: iPhone or Android.
- When you land, set the eSIM as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- Leave data roaming off on your Optus line, so it never starts a pass for data or falls back to $1 per MB. Use Wi-Fi calling or apps for calls, since a normal call on the Optus line can start a pass.
If the eSIM shows No Service when you arrive, see eSIM not working abroad. Our Indonesia, Japan and Europe pages list every plan, and our Bali eSIM guide covers the island in detail.
Comparing Australian networks? See Telstra, Vodafone, ALDI Mobile, amaysim, Belong and Boost Mobile.
FAQ
How much is Optus international roaming?
On Choice Plus, Plus Family and Plus Promo plans, Optus Daily Roaming costs $5 a day for 5GB of data with unlimited standard calls and texts in Zone 1. Other postpaid plans pay $10 for a Roaming Pass with 1GB, which lasts 24 hours or until the 1GB is used. Without a pass, data costs $1 per MB.
Is Optus roaming $5 a day?
Yes, on Choice Plus, Plus Family and Plus Promo plans: $5 a day for 5GB in more than 150 Zone 1 destinations. If you use the 5GB within 24 hours, Optus adds another 5GB for $5. It does not work in Zone 2 destinations.
Does Optus roaming work in Bali, Japan and the USA?
Yes. Optus lists Indonesia, Japan and the United States in Zone 1, so Daily Roaming and the Roaming Pass both work there. In Zone 2 destinations Optus roaming does not work at all.
Does Optus roaming work on prepaid?
Prepaid uses roaming packs instead of Daily Roaming: RoamMate lists $5 for 1GB over 1 day, $25 for 5GB over 14 days, $45 for 10GB over 28 days and $75 for 15GB over 186 days, as of September 2026. Check the add-ons in the My Optus app.
Is a travel eSIM cheaper than Optus roaming?
For data, usually: a week in Bali costs US$10.99 (about A$15.73) with our Indonesia plan, against $35 on Choice Plus or at least $70 on other Optus plans. Keep your Optus number for calls and texts.
Facts checked on 20 October 2026 against the Optus international roaming page (optus.com.au/mobile/plans/international-roaming) for Daily Roaming, the $10 Roaming Pass, standard rates and the Zone 1 list; RoamMate's Optus guide (27 September 2026) for prepaid packs; and our catalogue. Exchange rate: European Central Bank, 19 October 2026.